When is the right time for hospice?

Realizing that a sick loved one may be nearing the end of life is challenging — emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. Caregivers might experience heightened stress and fatigue that comes with caring for a dying person, whether a spouse, parent, child or anyone with a terminal illness.
Sometimes providing the best care possible to keep loved ones comfortable and pain-free during the last days, months or years of life may mean seeking support from a larger care team through hospice.
Focused on care and comfort — and not necessarily cure — hospice includes doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, spiritual counselors and therapists who work together to help minimize pain and symptoms so that people can live comfortably as life draws to a close.
So when is the right time to seek hospice care? The answers will vary on a case-by-case basis, so it is a good idea to discuss this question with the person’s doctor and health care team.
Dr. Margaret Elizondo, a hospice and palliative care expert affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital, provides some guidance when making this important decision. Some common indicators that a person may be suitable for hospice include:

• Increase in symptoms that do not respond well to traditional treatment

• Continual medical setbacks

• Decrease in appetite or weight loss

• Frequent trips to the emergency room or hospital to manage symptoms

It’s also important to consider how the caregiver and family are feeling. A hospice team can help support families dealing with the day-to-day expectations of taking care of a loved one. Caregivers may want to consider hospice if they are experiencing any of the following:

• Increase in stress and burden due to declining health of a loved one

• Physical and/or emotional exhaustion from caring for a loved one

• Feeling isolated due to the demands or uncertainties of caregiving

• Feeling overwhelmed with the financial, emotional or spiritual concerns surrounding the loved one’s illness

Navigating the emotional and medical complexities of end-of-life care can be stressful, but doctors can help families decide whether hospice is right for them.
Hospice may be a path toward providing comprehensive, compassionate care so that the moments in life for loved ones are as comfortable and meaningful as possible.